Saturday’s annual Springfest event will feature Wildcats Serving, a baseball tailgate, and a concert with artist Jamestown Revival.
The Students’ Association executive cabinet and Student Life Office organized the event. SA executive vice president Abbey Moses said the goal was to create an all-day event that appealed to different kinds of students.
“We wanted to make sure that this event had ways to engage our ACU and Abilene community,” Moses said.
In previous years, the Alumni Association has hosted Springfest, usually with a snow cone truck and evening concert. The music used to be student bands, but Moses said this year SA is focusing on empowering other student groups, such as Abilene City Limits, to put on shows at other times in the year.
“Hopefully moving forward next year, as we learn more ways to use the student activity fee best for students,” Moses said. “It’s been a blessing to be able to bring in these larger bands, but at the same time, I think its really important to empower student artists as well.”
The day will begin with Wildcats Serving, an annual event which connects students to alumni all over the world in serving their communities. Students can sign up online for on-campus or off-campus service projects, and every student who participates will get a free T-shirt. About 40 students have already signed up for Wildcats Serving.
Alumni in the Abilene area will work with the Red Thread Movement and Alameda Neighborhood Spring Clean. At the same time, alumni in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Austin will participate in service projects for local food pantry and service organizations.
“Service is such an important aspect of our university, so that was naturally what we wanted to do during the morning time,” Moses said.
In the afternoon, Springfest will continue with a tailgate in front of Crutcher Scott Field before the Wildcat baseball game against Lamar University. SA invited Residence Life and social clubs to participate in the tailgate by giving the groups a food budget to provide snacks.
The Student Athlete Advisory Committee and Abilene Christian Schools will have a children’s carnival at the tailgate in honor of Hudson Wade, the 11-year-old son of alumni Kirk and Laura Wade. Hudson passed away Feb. 4 after a four-month battle with leukemia. Hudson’s favorite sport was baseball, so to honor him, attendees are encouraged to wear white to “white-out” the stands. Inflatable toys and live zoo animals will be part of the carnival, as well as signups for bone marrow donations.
The day will finish with a concert on the ACU Hillside by Chapel on the Hill. Two food trucks, Kona Ice and the Sweetside, will sell desserts starting at 7:30 p.m. Austin-based band Atlas Youth will perform at 8 p.m. Lead singer Colin Leonard opened for Judah and the Lion at Cullen Auditorium last fall. Now he will return with a full band to open for American folk group Jamestown Revival.
Alec Hartman, senior accounting and finance major from San Antonio, booked the band through a connection he made after helping with promoting the Judah and the Lion concert. Hartman said despite the band’s complicated backline that has been outsourced to another company, it was “relatively painless” to book the band.
Moses said this year SA chose to combine its spring event with Springfest. Funded from the campus entertainment fund which includes the $25 student activity fee, the total cost of the event is between $24,000-$35,000.
“I’m hopeful that every penny spent will be worth it,” Moses said. “The entire day will be free to students, except for the food trucks.”
Springfest Schedule
9-11 a.m. – Wildcats Serving (University Place Retirement, Red Thread Movement, Cedar Creek Waterway, SAAC Carnival)
12:30-2:30 p.m. – Baseball tailgate in the lot in front of Crutcher Scott Field
2-4 p.m. – Wildcats versus Lamar University at Crutcher Scott Field
7:30-10:30 p.m. Jamestown Revival on the hillside by Chapel on the Hill
